Design Talk: EOOS

The creative Austrian designer trio EOOS – consisting of the designers Martin Bergmann, Gernot Bohmann, and Harald Gründl – founded their own design office in 1995 and specialized in the design of showrooms, lighting, and furniture. Examples of the trio’s extraordinary work include the Adidas and Armani cosmetics flagship stores,  the seating system kube for Matteograssi, a two-person tub for Duravit, and the innovative kitchen concept b2 for Bulthaup. 

EOOS makes products in which the synergies of the artistic traditions of cultural history and ancient mythologies are combined with new technologies in unique creations. For their work, EOOS has received the Compasso d’Oro (2004), the Design Week Award (2005), the IF Design Award (2007), and two red dot "best of the best" design awards (2007).

A short interview with EOOS.

Q: What is design?
A: A poetic discipline which mediates in the delicate balance between ancient and high-tech and corresponds with the desires and fears of the people in the ideal situation. 

Q: What is the purpose of design?
A: To anticipate new scenarios. Designers also have, with a view to the future, the task of creating their products so that society moves in the right direction. New global challenges are developing through the changing climate and the increasing scarcity of renewable raw materials. In the future, good designs will be only those which respect this paradigm shift…

Q: What is special about your designs?
A: We make an effort to create tolerant objects. By this, we mean objects with which the user can have an open, playful relationship. There should be no strict regulations as to how objects should be “correctly” used, this should be left to their free imagination. 

Q: What inspires you?
A: That is completely different for each project. With STREAM for DEDON, it was the simple picture of a bench standing in the sun in front of a house wall. With SUMMER CLOUD, it was derived from the problem that, during the course of the day, a sun lounger and sunshade have to be continually moved to create shade in the right place.  

Q: What motivates you?
A: The “surprise” moments in our studio. EOOS surprises us almost daily with things which, at the beginning, we don't even know what they are or what will become of them. 

Q: What does your studio look like? 
A: We like to compare it to a kind of sculpture garden in which we stroll around between the models, sketches and ideas which are in various stages of development. 

Q: What, in your opinion, is typical for a DEDON design?
A: A high level of craftsmanship which often stretches the boundaries of the materials used.  The synthesis of the industrially made frames and the hand-woven surfaces. And generally, the creative energy which is invested in the development of surfaces and structures.